Battle of the Haise
After a season of raiding and maneuver, the opposing armies of the Spicers and the Northern Orders - led by Castan Etrienon and Rhoedas Adraston, respectively - finally met forty miles southeast of Epichirisi in the fall of 733 SR. The opposing forces lined up in a farmer's field on the northern bank of the river Haise, a tributary of the Iantes. Castan and the Spicers seemed to have the advantage, having raised nearly twenty thousand obligate and order infantrymen. Additionally, they could bring the fearsome roenonto bear, a cavalry force over three thousand strong. Having only a bare thousand cavalrymen of his own, Rhoedas anchored his landward left flank with his core force of two thousand gendori, hoping to fend off any encircling attack by the roenon. The centre of the Republican line would be held by eight thousand assorted obligates hailing from across the breadth of Nayedon, and the right flank by four thousand Epicharitan militiamen. Worried that the morale of his force might suffer and the enemy's numerical advantage become increasingly evident, Rhoedas ordered his scant number of archers forward. Three-hundred dedori armed with yune longbows commenced a barrage on the enemy line from considerable range. The Spicers were unworried, expecting a weak patter of arrows falling short. Instead, a volley of narrow-tipped shafts fell amidst the obligate line, piercing linen armour and pincushioning shields. The barrage persisted for twenty minutes, and Castan grew all the more enraged, powerless as he was to counter the longbows. His commanders cautioned him to wait, as the northern monks were growing tired, and they were few in any case. But Castan would not be denied, and ordered his line forward. After some desultory skirmishing between dart-throwers, the thonos spearwalls ground together in violent melee. Each side pushed forward with their shields, chanting the rhythm, but neither seemed able to best the other. Castan's line then began to bend inwards at its end, the green brothers on the left showing their mettle against the obligates opposite them, cutting them down ruthlessly, pushing inexorably forward. To this point, both cavalry forces had stood idle, awaiting command. Needing to short up his line, Castan sent his roenon forward, and they shortly dispersed the Republican cavalry, driving them from the field. Wheeling, the roenon drove towards the gendori with lances poised. Though shocked, the gendori had formed a face in time, but could not continue a push with renewed pressure from the Spicer infantry. Nearly encircled, the green brothers were forced to take up a square formation, backing towards the Republican centre. Though they been successful in forcing the enemy back, the roenon had taken heavy losses. Though wanting to test the greens again, Castan withdrew his cavalry to the opposite end of the field on the advice of his commanders. The Epicharitan militia was the weak link in the enemy line, they told him. And so the charge was readied along the river, Castan leading it himself, and a gap was cleared by the Spicers. Rhoedas watched helplessly, unable to shift his forces. The charge was sounded, and the line began to waver at the sight. But Rhoedas rode up, and yelled for the Epicharitans to hold, and so they braced themselves courageously. The lancers drew up a few paces before a line of spears unwilling to move, their mounts unwilling to go any further. It was said that a man stepped forward hesitantly, spearing a lancer in the armpit - some say Castan himself. Regardless of the truth, Castan's banner fell, and it was a rush as the militia piled into the stalled cavalry, cutting them down. The roenon broke, the first time in the history of that fighting sept. With their general's banner down, and seeing the elite of their army driven off and the enemy pushing forward, the Spicer's line was thrown into an utter rout. It is estimated that over six thousand men lay dead on the field of the Haise by the day's close. Category:Battles Category:Opulensi